Manually driven portable steering propeller



Nov. 8, 1949 J. F. STEPHENS 2,487,195

MANUALLY DRIVEN PORTABLE STEERING PROPELLER Filed Dec. 30, 1947 Joseph F. Stephens INVENTOR.

Patented Nov. 8, 1 949 MANUALLY DRIVEN PORTABLE STEERING PROPELLER Joseph F. Stephens, Kissimmee, Fla.

v Application December 30, 1947, Serial No. 794,489 2 Claims. (Cl. 115-18) The present invention relates to improvements in boat propulsion devices which are used for driving small crafts, such as row boats, and has more particular reference to manually operable mechanical means of a substantially noiseless character which is adapted for convenient and practical use by fishermen, especially when trolling for fish.

When out trolling for fish it is often desirable to navigate the boat in places rather difiicult of access and to do so with the least possible confusion and noise. It has been found that powered motors, in quiet spots, are too disturbing to be acceptable and that splashing and squeaking cars and the pounding of same on the gunwales of the boat also leads to unsatisfactory accomplishments. It follows, therefore, that in an effort to equip a boat to attain the desired ends in a more adequate and satisfactory manner, I have evolved and produced a simple hand turned shaft and gearing arrangement for spinning a propeller sufficiently to motivate the boat slowly in calm and quiet waters.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hand crank shaft, gearing and propeller arrangement wherein the shaft housing is adjustable to regulate the position of the propeller means and wherein the gear housing is properly shaped and designed, and is, therefore, used as a rudder for steering the boat.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate lik parts throughout the views- Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the propelling and steering means as constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear end view, that is a view observing the structure of Figure 1 in a direction from left to right;

Figure 3 is a contracted sectional and elevational view, fragmentary in type, which is taken on the vertical line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a view like Figure 3 but on the line 44 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, also looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawing by distinguishing reference characters it will be seen that the boat, an ordinary row boat, is denoted by the reference character 8 and that a substantially U-shaped clamp 9 is fastened thereto by a set-screw as at In. The bracket is provided'with outstanding ears I I having a bolt providing a hinged connection between said clamp and an adapter and bearing bracket 12. The bracket I2 comprises a block I3 which fits between the ears and is ad-' justably secured by the bolt l4, and further includes a split collar l5 having a clamping bolt l6 removably supporting the oscillatory shaft housing ll. Said shaft housing passes through the collar l5 and is in turn provided with a stop collar l8 held in place by a set-screw l9. The shaft housing serves to accommodate a motion transmitting shaft 20 which, as shown in Figure 3, is journaled in suitable bearings, particularly a top bearing 2|, said shaft being provided on its upper end with a hand-crank 22 having an appropriate hand grip. The lower end of the shaft is journaled in abearing in a gear casing 23,as shown better in Figure 4. The gear casing serves as a rudder and also to accommodate a beveled gear 24 which is fastened for operation on the lower end of said shaft. The gear 24 drives a beveled pinion 25 on a horizontal propeller shaft 26 journaled in suitable bearings in the gear casing and provided with propeller blades 21 as shown. The gear casing is provided with a removable cover 28 to permit access to be had for adjustment and other purposes.

In practice the gear casing may be provided with a fin arrangement (not shown) to thus provide an effective steering rudder; or the casing may be shaped as shown so that it is in itself a rudder sufficient for steering purposes. This means therefore that the shaft casing l'l connects with the gear casing and that the two move as a unit, the shaft casing being operated by a steering handle 29 which is carried by same as shown in Figures 1 and 3 in particular.

The gear casing and shaft assembly is adjustaJble on the hinge means provided between the collar 15 and the clamp 9. Any suitable devices may be employed such as for example a pair of adaptor members 30 are attached to the shaft housing or casing [and are apertured to accommodate an adjustable bolt 3| which carries a set screw 32 held adjustably in place by assembling nuts 33. By adjusting this means the shaft and its casing may be angularly adjusted to suit the requirements of the navigator of the boat.

It is obvious, of course, that the propelling and steering means herein shown and described is not necessarily restrictedto row boats for trollin purposes. Manifestly, it may be used for whatever purposes are found satisfactory and advisable, for instance, it will serve to advantage in and around seashore cottages and the like where young children like to take short boat rides and are not skilled in handling oars. In fact, no effort will be made herein to cover the: uti'ltarian and commercial aspects of the structure, f or'I am interested primarily in protecting the device as a boat propulsion attachment which is readily applicable and removable and. which is manually operable, and of a simple mechanical type.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention asillustrated in the drawings will. enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed Minor changes in shape; size, materials and rearrangement-of parts may be resorted to in actualpractice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A manually steered and actuated steering and. propulsion device for attachment to a. rowboator the like comprising an inverted U -shaped set screw-equipped clampapplicable to said boat and provided with a pan of ears, a split clamping collar provided with a clamping screw and also provided with an outstanding lug, said lug being hingedly mounted between saidv ears, a tubular shaft combination casing slidably and rotatably mounted in said clamping collar, a second collar adjustably mounted on said tubular casing and adapted to rest upon said clamping collar, a casing raising, lowering and steering handle permanently attached to said casing above said second named collar, a gear casing detachably mounted on the lower end of said first named casing, a shaft mounted for rotation in said gear casing and provided with a propeller, said gear casing being shaped to function as a steering rudder, a shaft mounted for rotation in said first named casing and secured at its lower end to the gearing, in the gear casing for turning the gearing and consequently the propellor, a hand crank mounted on the upper end of said shaft, and manualiy regulable means integrally mounted on said first named casing at a point below the first named collar and adapted to rest in end thrust relation against: a part of the boat to limit the swinging of the first named collar and associated pants in a. direction toward the heal;

2. The structure specified in claim I, wherein said means comprises. a pair of adapter members attached to the shaft casing provided with an JOSEPH F; STEPHENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following. references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,921,408 Haschke Mar. 26, 1912 1,302,957 Gwen May 6-,, 1919 1,911,503 Crump July 11,1933 

